Why am I getting crappy DVD encoding? (interlace problems, etc)

[timmus]

I have been attempting to convert some home videos (VHS source captured to AVI/DV), converting them to DVD. The tool I have been attempting to use is ConvertXToDVD.

Unfortunately I find that the burnt discs all have poor video quality. It appears that ConvertXToDVD is dropping all the interlace frames, which is good but it lacks the crispness of the original video and is unacceptable. I tried again, unchecking the box called "de-interleave (recommended for DV sources), and I got the original crisp, high-frame rate video that I see on the VHS tapes, but in any kind of panning I see what looks like banded overlapping of the base frame and the interlace frame, resulting in bad quality in any kind of video with lots of motion.

The original source video looks great in Windows Media Player, full crisp frame rate, and VirtualDubMod reports 720x480 29.97 fps. Yet the ConvertXToDVD output looks poor.

I don't see any other video options in ConvertXToDVD so it looks like I'm going to have to give up on this program.

Why is this happening? Are there any other encoders that can help me convert the AVI/DV to VOBs without this kind of trouble? Note that I am converting NTSC camcorder video, not film, so maybe this is why some of you may be unfamiliar with this problem.

Tim

[aedipuss]

what version of convertx are you using?

are you looking for free encoders, or paid? the best are cce mainconcept and tmpgenc, but they're not free.

[jagabo]

Look for a field order option in ConvertXToDVD. Use the opposite setting from the one you have been using. The terminology varies one program to another -- top/bottom, TFF/BFF, even/odd, 1/2, A/B.

Do not deinterlace. Avoid cropping or resizing the frame.

[guns1inger]

How are you capturing the video ? DV AVI is always bottom field first, and if you use a camera on pass-through or a canopus box then this is what you will get. If you capture through an analogue device and save as DV avi it might get confused as the incoming state would be top field first.

However, if it plays back correctly, then I suspect the video is OK.

I would never use ConvertXtoDVD for DV source, simply because I don't believe it's encoder is good enough. It is designed for taking sub-standard, downloaded material and converting for DVD. At this it does a pretty good job. But for DV source, I believe you need to use a better encoder.

If you want a simple (ish) solution, try FAVC with HCEnc. The quality will be far better than ConvertXtoDVD can produce.

[timmus]

Quick FYI -- I am using ConvertXToDVD 2.2.3.258, paid version. I am more than happy to pay for an encoder, but not $500 (so no Canopus, etc). Also in ConvertXToDVD I am not finding any option at all for field order.

I'm going to give TMpgEnc DVD Author 3 a try.

Tim

[guns1inger]

It doesn't have one. It auto-detects. It is also mostly used for progressive material (read Xvid/Divx downloads). You could try ticking the De-Interleave box on the Image Processing tab, but if it deinterlaces the video (which I suspect it does), then the quality will be dropped anyway. If it is already ticked, untick it and try again.

Personally though, I'd give FAVC a swing.

[timmus]

Well, so much for TMpgEnc.... it won't even run because it complains that msvcp60.dll is missing. Geez.

[guns1inger]

You can download a copy here : http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?msvcp60

But I would park it in a temp folder and scan it before using it.

[timmus]

Yeah, I saw that but I don't think the site is trustworthy. I had planned on shelling out money for TMpgEnc too. Guess I'll give FAVC/HCEnc a try.

[guns1inger]

If you really want the best results, learn some basic avisynth - enough to load a file at least - encode with HCenc, then author with GUIForDVDAuthor. Far higher quality that ConvertXtoDVD can give you, and far more flexibility than Tmpgenc DVD Author

[aedipuss]

here's the dll if you want it for tmpgenc. it's needed by many MSVC++ based applications.



msvcp60.dll

[aedipuss]

sorry i forgot. it goes in windows/system32 folder.

[timmus]

Thanks. Actually I found that I got MSVCP60.DLL as a side benefit once I installed the Microsoft .dotnet framework (which was required for me to use FAVC). Also I found a copy on my Win2K disc under support/tools/support.cab.

Unfortunately FAVC/HC failed by producing a zero-length IFO file, which I remedied by using IfoEdit and then cleaning it up with DVD Shrink, but now I can give TMpgEnc a try.

Tim

[timmus]

OK, I can report that FAVC/HC produced more poor output... it looks like it dropped all the interlace frames too, and the video does not look crisp like the original. Maybe there was some setting I needed to tweak, but it did not work optimally right out of the box. However I got TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 working and I can report it DOES produce good quality output, producing crisp frame rates, interlace frames, and with no weird field order problems. I may just go forth with registering it.

I wish I knew about this issue earlier before I transcoded 9 of my VHS tapes... now I'm going to have to do them all over. But I guess it's all a learning experience!

Tim

[guns1inger]

Post a few seconds of the source and the encoded files. I have no seen either program produce your problem before, and that multiple programs are doing it makes me wonder if something else isn't going on.

[_MrC_]

Do try AVStoDVD 2.0.0 beta (see link in signature). It manages interlaced input and output, and if you choose HCenc as encoder, you can set "DVSOURCE" option on, which improves interlaced encoding of DV avi.

Let me know

:wink:

Bye